1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outdoor patio umbrellas, and in particular, to a lighting structure that is adapted to be attached to an outdoor patio umbrella.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Outdoor patio umbrellas have become increasingly popular as more and more people are beginning to conduct more outdoor activities. For example, outdoor dinner parties and events are becoming more common, and patio umbrellas have been useful in providing shade to tables and chairs that have been placed outdoors for these events. Outdoor events that are held in the evenings, when the sun has set, usually need to address the problem of providing sufficient illumination to the location of the event. In this regard, separate lighting systems had to be provided to illuminate the location of the event.
Unfortunately these separate lighting systems can be bulky and difficult to set up. In addition, these conventional lighting systems do not always provide sufficient illumination to the space under a patio umbrella. Another problem associated with illuminating the space under a patio umbrella is that the patio umbrella may be positioned far away from an electrical outlet, thereby requiring the use of wiring to deliver electricity to power any lights associated with the patio umbrella.
Thus, there remains a need to provide improved illumination for outdoor events, and in particular, to the space under a patio umbrella.